During the fabrication of integrated circuits (ICs) in semiconductor manufacturing, a substrate, upon which the IC devices are formed, proceeds through numerous steps and a variety of processes in the evolution of the IC. These processes include etch processes for the removal of material, deposition processes for the formation of material, etc., wherein each process can require a separate treatment system for executing each process. Many processes are performed under vacuum conditions. As a result, the interconnection of treatment systems generally requires an apparatus for providing vacuum isolation, thereby permitting the execution of a process in a treatment system at a vacuum pressure different than the pressure of an adjacent treatment system. Typically, a gate valve can be utilized to provide vacuum isolation between adjacent treatment systems, wherein the valve housing is mounted below the connection of the adjacent treatment systems, and the gate valve translates vertically between open and closed positions. However, the use of such gate valves leads to the occupation of valuable floor space between such treatment systems, hence, interrupting access to the treatment systems during maintenance intervals by an operator.